DUMAGUETE CITY , Philippines – Police arrested on Tuesday a suspected member of an alleged private armed group (PAG) in a raid at Sta. Catalina town in Negros Oriental.
Senior Supt. Noli Romana, director of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police, identified the suspect as 58-year-old Valentino Cadungog Ragada, a resident of the BLISS housing project in Sta. Catalina.
During the raid at the suspects house, conducted by virtue of a search warrant, police confiscated a hand grenade, a .38-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver and five rounds of live ammunition for .38-caliber, said Romana.
The raid was witnessed by barangay officials Jason Vasquez and Elpidio Electona.
Romana said Ragada and a few others still at-large were “remnants†of the Tanasan-Libron group, allegedly operating in the southern part of the province. Jasper Tanasan, one of the leaders of the alleged PAG was arrested last year.
The police had earlier identified three suspected criminal gangs in Negros Oriental that were potential groups to be hired during the election period. The two others were the Dumas-ug group and the Desperado group.
Eight of the 15 suspected members of the Tanasan-Libron group, whom the police have identified as suspects in the series of crimes committed in southern Negros Oriental, have been arrested and neutralized, including alleged leaders Tanasan and Pacito Libron. (FREEMAN)